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Post LRP hernia

Has anyone who had laparoscopic abdominal surgery gotten a hernia shortly after? I had to have inguinal hernia surgery after my DaVinci. I hadn't lifted anything heavy so I was surprised when I had a bulge in my groin after the prostate surgery swelling went down. A friend just had laparoscopic gall bladder surgery and he got a hernia right after as well. His doctor said that the gas that they pump into your abdomen sometimes causes a hernia if they pump in too much. I'm thinking that's what happened to me as well. Anyone else experience this?

Re: Post LRP hernia

Yes Paul. I have just had the same. I had the robot about the same time as you (and with similar failure to remove the whole gland!)

Exactly 2 years out, for no obvious reason, an egg formed above my right groin. The GP said sure enough it was an inguinal hernia. Then he floored me. He was surprised they didn't tell me before the op that 50 per cent of all men who have abdominal key hole surgery will get an inguinal hernia within 2 years.

He didn't say it was the being-pumped-full-to-bursting with gas. He said it was caused by the tension in stitching up the wounds. It seems that if you do them too tight you weaken the surrounding area.

Seems like when you weld metal, the welded part is very strong, which can lead to weakness in the adjoining areas. That is roughly what happens to your gut. Who knew?

My GP says to deal with it like his Dad has - which is to do nothing til you have to and maybe you won't have to anyway coz it may heal up. Good old National Health Service for you!

Just one more thing we find out by experience - like ED that lasts more than 2 years when they said you would be "winged" for about a year!

Ted from England

Re: Post LRP hernia

Paul,
I had DaVinci surgery in July of 2007 and in November of the same year had the inguinal hernia appear. In my case I had some prior indications of a possible hernia problem and I even asked the DaVinci surgeon to take a close look in that specific area to see if anything was amiss. But he found nothing. In December 07 I had the hernia surgery which involves planting a mesh in the area. All has been fine since.

I know there are other stories on this site where the prostate surgeon did repair a hernia along with his prostate removal main event.

Re: Post LRP hernia

Interesting, I had an inguinal hernia repaired at the same time as my Robotic surgery as well. I had a previous inguinal hernia repaired about 8 years ago. I can still "feel" pressure there when I lift something heavy.
Mike C

Re: Post LRP hernia

Well, you live and learn. I must confess to not being fully aware of the comparatively high incidence of inguinal hernia after surgery until this thread started.

Seems Ted’s doc may be a little high in his estimates, but it is a pretty common event. There’s some interesting material here
INGUINAL HERNIA AND PROSTATECTOMY

Incidentally, this site of A.Black's is an excellent one for all manner of information. Well worth expoloring

All the best

Terry

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